The present invention relates to a novel process for protecting the finish on a vehicle, especially during the assembly process for the vehicle.
Manufacturing methods for mass production of a modern vehicle generally employ consecutive steps. The outer shell of an automobile, for example, is constructed in a stamping plant without attachment to a chassis. Such shell or body is then painted and dried by an accelerated process. At this point, the body is mated with a chassis on the assembly line and the wheels, glass, motor, and drive train are added to produce a finished vehicle.
Unfortunately, during the assembly process a newly painted body is often damaged by assembly workers who are accomplishing necessary additions to the interior and exterior of the vehicle. It has been noted that this problem is especially acute on fenders and side doors.
In the past, cloth and plastic sheets have draped over the vehicle body with limited success. Sheets slip from the vehicle body and require repositioning to permit the workers to assemble the vehicle. Cloth and plastic sheets have been discovered to be poor protectors of the vehicle bodies, especially on vertical surfaces.
A process of inexpensively and efficiently protecting assembly line vehicles from cosmetic damage would be a notable advance in the vehicle assembly field.